Dancing Blog South Africa

Group dancing classes are good to teach you the basics of a lot of different dances so that when different music plays you know different moves which makes dancing more interesting and exciting. When preparing your actual opening dance it is great to have at least 1 but at least 3 private lessons where you can prepare an opening on how to move onto the dance floor and also choose which dance to do to the music you have chosen. This is also assuming you have been to group classes to learn the basics. If you are total beginners and wish to do only private lessons then 3-6 lessons would be recommended.

I have not had this request many times but I don’t recommend dancing without your partner. You need to learn to dance with each other as much as you need to learn the moves. If one partner is much weaker than the other then some extra lessons for the weaker partner can be a good idea to catch them up to their partner. Half of the fun of dance lessons is the together time that you get to spend.

Not too late. It is too late to do something spectacular but not too late to look decent on the dance floor for your opening wedding dance. You will need private lessons only at this stage but 3 private lessons can be enough to do a nice intro and some cool moves. I have even had a couple once that only had time for one lesson and they learnt enough simple moves to not make fools of themselves on the dance floor. The feedback was that everything went well and they are glad that they rather had one lesson that nothing at all. If you would like to book some lessons you can go and have a look at our times available for private lessons.

I always think that if people can dance then weddings are always so much for fun for them. I think that it looks really great for the bridal party to be the first to join the wedding couple on the dance floor. If they all join in a group class it can be a fun family activity and then they all know the same dance moves which enables the bride and groom to easily dance with their parents. For more information click here.

I once did a dance with the bridal couple and 4 other couples for the main wedding dance. They all came on to the dance floor together doing the same move and then lined up and did the same sequence of moves of the cha-cha-cha. It looked fantastic. We all had a lot of fun in class and the dance came out really well in the end. I wish that I could have been a fly on the wall at that wedding. It really is something to consider as it introduces a great vibe to the wedding which gets everyone in the mood to dance and party and have a great time. It is also a conversation piece after the event. Your wedding will be more memorial if you do something different.

If considering doing a group dance then remember that you need to have comitted and reliable people dancing in the group.

For the most part it would be best to dance in your wedding shoes but it is better to be comfortable and if your wedding shoes are slip ons then it is better to have another pair of steady shoes that are fully attached to your foot for when you are dancing. Alternatively you can put an elastic around your foot for the dance to keep your shoes from falling off. For more information click here.

Well I always say if you can’t choose do both. You can edit the 2 songs together which will also give you more time alone on the dance floor and allow you to show off 2 different types of dancing like  maybe the foxtrot and hustle or quickstep and cha cha cha or jive and waltz. Any dances can be combinted to make an awesome start to your wedding dancing. For more information click here.

I have done many dances that are 2 songs combined and it really makes the opening dance more interesting and memorable.

I always tell wedding couples to choose something that has romantic meaning for them, I feel very strongly about this as 10 years down the line you would like to be able to remember the song that you did for your opening dance. Here are some websites that have suggestions.

Easy weddings has a long list of appropriate love songs. There are also links so that you can listen to the songs.

If you insist on doing a waltz for your opening dance there is a list of waltzes HERE. The waltz is a beautiful dance and it is not that difficult to do the slow waltz.

If you like the words to a song but don’t like the tempo or feel of the song look for another artists that performed the same song. You light up my life is an example of this. The version by Debbie Boon is quite slow but then Westlife came along and made a faster version that is a really beautiful wedding song and a great tempo for an up tempo slow waltz. I have choreographed this a few times for couples and it turned out really well every time.

For a choreographed dance the teacher will choreograph a dance that is easy to do but looks complicated so that you look fabulous and your wedding guests are impressed.

For more information click here.

This is very much a personal decision. I prefer it if the guests join you halfway through your dance as it stays with the purpose of the opening dance in that the newly married couple opens the dance floor at their wedding. One point I would like to make here is that if you want to do the whole song with the dance floor to yourselves then you edit the music to make your wedding song shorter. 3-4 minutes is a very long time to be dancing on the dance floor. When you see couples dancing on strictly come dancing their dances are usually 1.5 minutes. When a couple comes to me that wants to be alone on the dance floor for their opening song I edit the music for them so that it is less than 2 minutes. Rather have the wedding guests wanting more than getting bored. For more information click here.

I think that of the hundreds of wedding couples that I have helped with their opening dance I have choreographed less than 10 waltzes. Most people tend to opt for a foxtrot as it is the dance that fits with most love songs of today. For more information click here.

I usually say it is best to start Ballroom / Latin American dancing classes sooner rather than later. It is recommended to start with group classes and then if you would like to have your dance choreographed for you then a few private dancing lessons closer to the time would be appropriate. I would recommend that you start 4 months before your wedding with 3 months group classes and then 3 -6 private lessons the last month with your last private dance lesson the week of the wedding. Private dance lessons are more expensive so if you are on a tight budget you could do a few months of group classes before the wedding and then 1 private dance lesson just before the wedding to do the entrance and then do the dance moves that you learnt in class for the balance of the song. For more information click here.